Known as Tatanka Iyotake among the Sioux Indians, he quickly became known for his fearlessness in battle. He became the leader of a Sioux warrior society and increased Sioux lands. However, the US Army continually invaded the Sioux territory, decreasing the Sioux's ability to hunt and support themselves. Around 1867, Sitting Bull became the first principal chief of the entire Sioux nation. He worked with the US Government to negotiate the Fort Laramie treaty, which promised that the Black Hills would remain in Sioux possession forever. However, in the mid-1870s, gold was discovered in the Black Hills, and white prospectors flooded into the area. The US Government responded by ordering the Sioux onto reservations. The Sioux resisted, and realizing they would not be able to defeat the US Army alone, they allied with the Cheyenne and the Arapaho and defeated George Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Sitting Bull and his followers retreated to Canada after this, but famine forced them to return and surrender. In 1885, Sitting Bull joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and traveled throughout the US. Sitting Bull was killed by Indian police in 1890 when some of his followers tried to rescue him from being arrested.

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